Gloss Enhanced Daytona Grey Audi RS4 Avant

When asked to name a performance road car, few people would name anything with an estate body style. The Audi RS4 Avant however, is the wolf in sheep’s clothing dispelling the myth that practical cars can’t also be fun to drive!

The Audi RS4 Avant is powered by a hand-built 4.2 litre naturally aspirated engine providing a roaring 444bhp at 8250rpm. For the 2012 release Audi amended the design, shortening the front end overhang and repositioning the powerhouse engine, distributing the weight more evenly over the chassis. Coupled with the Quattro drive system and a ride height 20mm lower than standard A4 Avant, the ’62 RS4 Avant is incredibly responsive and grippy even in the wet, contributing to the overall driving exhilaration factor.

This customer had recently bought this particular RS4 Avant and brought it to the Ultimate Detailing Studio for a Gloss Enhancement Treatment. Although the car had been very well looked after in general, there was a dent on the bonnet as well as three stone chips which required special attention.

The dent was small, about the size of a 20p piece, but it was enough to detract from the look of the vehicle. As the customer was investing in a Gloss Enhancement Treatment it made sense to have all the issues dealt with at the same time, so we arranged for our skilled repair specialist to take care of this dent before we started the detailing process. – Master Detailer, UDS

The first stage of any detail is decontamination, so the whole car including the wheels was treated with Bilt-Hamber Korrosol Fallout Remover to remove any iron contamination and other bonded inorganic components. The wheels were then cleaned using Valet Pro Bilberry Wheel Cleaner and UF Wheel Woolies.

The wheels were in absolutely perfect condition, either they were brand new or they had been very, very well maintained. It isn’t very often we see wheels on a ‘daily driver’ as perfect as these ones! – Master Detailer, UDS

The engine bay, wheel arches, boot, bonnet and door shuts were all cleaned using ValetPRO Citrus Pre-Wash and a ValetPRO Large Sash Brush to get into the tight corners of badges, grille and around door catches.

With the details taken care of the whole car was then pre-washed using Ultimate Snow Foam, the non-contact cleaner designed to remove larger particles of dirt and grit from the surface of the paintwork, prior to the main wash.

After dwelling for around five minutes the car was rinsed and then washed using Ultimate Finish Two Bucket Set With Scratch Shields to further minimise chances of introducing scratches to paintwork. For this wash the Detailer used POLISHANGEL® Glissante, a carnauba gel shampoo with a pH neutral formula. Having washed the car once to ensure lightly bonded dirt had been removed, he then used a Clay Mitt (like a clay sponge but in ‘mitt’ form!) to remove bonded organic contaminants such as tar, tree sap and squashed bug remains.

The car was then rinsed completely clean, using an Aqua Gleam deionising water filter for the final rinse to ensure a spot-free finish and then patted dry using a Gtechniq Zero Scratch Microfibre Drying Towel.

With the car completely decontaminated, clean and dry a thorough paint inspection could then be carried out using a RUPES Swirl Check Portable LED Light.

The paintwork was in pretty good condition, with the exception of the stone chips and the dent. A few random deep scratches and some wash induced swirls – fairly typical on any car that gets used on a regular basis. Master Detailer, UDS

The three stone chips were cleaned with Nanolex Premium Paint Cleaner and then, using the ChipEx Paint Chip Repair System, three layers of 6Y/6Y Daytona Grey paint was applied to the stone chips to build them out.

I always use ChipEx on stone chips rather than chip filler pens because ChipEx contains an Acrylic Lacquer in the paint – this ensures the repair sites harden properly, meaning it will be less likely to soften up and wash out. I also like the paint code matching system – it means you get the colour match exactly right, every single time. – Master Detailer, UDS

To finish, the RS4 paintwork was protected using POLISHANGEL® Cosmic 9H, a nanotechnology-based glasscoat sealant with added carnauba for that glossy, deep, wet-look shine.

All the glass was cleaned using Nanolex PREMIUM Paint Cleaner and sealed using Nanolex ULTRA Glass Sealant. This sealant encourages rainwater to bead and blow away whilst driving, reducing the need for windscreen wipers and making visibility much easier during rainy weather conditions.

The perfectly maintained alloy wheels were prepared first using Nanolex Paint Cleaner and then protected using Gtechniq C5 Alloy Wheel Armour. Tar, brake dust and road grime will now be repelled from the surface of the wheel, to ensure keeping the wheels in good condition will be easy.

Finally, to finish the look completely, the tyres were given a coat of Swissvax Pneu, leaving a natural satin sheen. The grille and exhaust tips were polished to a glowing lustre using Gtechniq M1 All Metal Polish.

More images of the Gloss Enhancement Treatment for the Audi RS4 Avant, including ‘before and after’ shots, can be seen on the UF Car Care & Car Detailing forums here.